The Tragedy of Women in "Death of a Salesman"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows that Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is packed with masculine overtones. Willy's heroes, the father-son relationship, and the sibling rivalry, all focus on the dynamics among men. The paper shows that the women in the play become the victims of the self-centered fears and inadequacies of Willy, Biff and Happy. They are instruments, exploited by these men in their quest for the American Dream. In other words, they are essentially conquests for them to overcome in order to get what they want out of society and life, in general.

From the Paper:

"Nevertheless, Willy habitually condescends, patronizes, and demeans her, particularly in front of Biff and Happy. While he does offer some praise, it usually involves what she does for him. For example, Willy tells her that she is his "foundation and support." He is often full of contradictions. One minute, he is yelling at her to stop interrupting him, and the next minute, he is lamenting to Ben over how much she has suffered."

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